The Weekend Shortlist May 9 to 11

Adam Green Plays The Town Hall Saturday

Friday May 9

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Erykah Badu + The Roots
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Radio City Music Hall
Food: Heartland Brewery
Drink: House of Brews
Miscellaneous: Entertainment Outlet

Known equally for her head wraps as for her distinctive and soulful voice, Erykah Badu hits the stage at Radio City with one of the most versatile group out there today, The Roots. While the Heartland Brewery is one of the last chain restaurants left in the city that makes their own beer on premises, it’s still not a bad spot in midtown for dinner, while the menu is American, it’s a pretty good place for a steak and a home-brewed pint. With more than 80 draft and bottled beers combined, it’s hard not to like House of Brews though with more than 20 screens playing sports, on game night, it can get packed. While CDs and DVDs have nearly been replaced by iPod’s and Tivo’s, the good news is that Entertainment Outlet sells new and old movies in all formats, cheaper than any megastore in midtown.

Friday May 9

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Midnight Juggernauts + Shy Child + Holy Ghost!
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: Three of Cups
Drink: Whiskey Ward
Miscellaneous: Sugar Sweet Sunshine

Prepare to dance as Melbourne, Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts bring their electronic/disco/dance music rock. Seriously, this band is one of my new faves. Joining them are two great electro rock bands, NYC’s Shy Child and Holy Ghost! What I like about Three of Cups is that the food is classic Italian fare like Pizza made in a wood-fired oven, risotto, pasta, while also offering more exciting dishes like lamb stew in a barolo wine reduction, served with potato gnocchi. The atmosphere is relaxing, bordering on romantic. With a name like Whiskey Ward, it’s expected that they deliver the goods, which lucky for this bar, they do. Whether it’s Scotch, Bourbon, Whiskey, or Single Malts, they got em’ along with a pool table and a damn good jukebox. Who doesn’t like cupcakes? Sugar Sweet Sunshine has one of the best in the city. With 10 different kinds, it’s hard to beat.

Saturday May 10

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Adam Green + Tim Fite + Laura Marling
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: The Town Hall
Food: Havana Central
Drink: The Campbell Apartment
Miscellaneous: Vintage

Ex-Moldy Peaches singer whose underground success has recently surfaced to the main stream with help from the movie Juno, plays The Town Hall in support of his new album Sixes & Sevens along with local singer/songwriter Tim Fite who oddly blends country, hip hop, and indie-rock successfully, and folk singer Laura Marling from England. While Times Square is obviously an expensive mess of restaurants, Havana Central offers affordable Cuban food like Camarones con Coco - coconut dusted jumbo shrimp fried and breaded with pineapple ($12). The former office of 1920s mogul John W. Campbell, this utterly spectacular bar is in Grand Central Terminal. Who knew? If wine is your thing, Vintage has a wine list with over 200 kinds by the glass or bottle from most of the boutique wineries in Long Island and Upstate New York.

Saturday May 10

Location: East Village, NYC
Bands: Noise! 2008
Show time: 10:00 PM
Venue: Ontological Theater at St. Marks Church
Food: Supper
Drink: 2A
Miscellaneous: Whole Foods on Bowery

Now in its fourth year, Noise! 2008 is a three-day festival, tonight being the final night, where emerging and established noise and sound artists get together and perform. Tonight’s artists include, Damian Catera, Tom Roe, John Baird, Skyline, and Andrea Parkins. Those looking for good and inexpensive Italian food should most definitely check out Supper. Do yourself a favor and try the “Priest Stranglers” pasta with Marinara and soft Ricotta di Pecora cheese. A good bar nearby is 2A. With two floors of windows, it’s great for watching the remaining hipsters who can still afford to live in the city pass by. If all your dinner/drink plans fail and you need an all-in-one, the Whole Foods on Houston Street is your upscale go-to-grocery store for dinner and snacks.

Sunday May 11

Location: Chelsea, NYC
Bands: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens
Show time: 2:00 PM
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Food: Pop Burger
Drink: Gaslight Lounge
Miscellaneous: Amy’s Bread

Happy Mother’s Day! Though Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens share the same great funk and soul label (Daptone) as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, she has a voice that was meant to be experienced live, and what better a day than on Mother’s Day? Burger joint in the front, upscale lounge in the back, the menu at Pop Burger includes basics like 2 pop burgers for $5 for a quick fix or if your lounging, the likes of tuna tartar with soy truffle jus ($15). The Gaslight, a great hotspot bar in the meatpacking district, is dark and cozy while affordable for the area. If you don’t know Amy’s Bread, when you order a sandwich at a café or restaurant in the city, ask where they got the bread. There’s a good chance it’s from Amy’s because she’s one of the best bread makers in the city.

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/09/2008 08:00:00 AM 0 comments

I WAS THERE . . . The Duke Spirit 4/8/08

The Duke Spirit
Bowery Ballroom
April 8, 2008




The Duke Spirit, an aggressive indie rock band out of London, England put on a hard-rockin electric show at the Bowery Ballroom that kept the audience jumping from start to finish.

The focal point of the band for me was definitely lead singer Leila Moss, whose powerful voice matched her captivatingly sexy stage presence. Her voice had elements of Bjork while the band as a whole was reminiscent of the Pixies. Their sound was harsh and unashamed. They had great dynamics and established an edgy backdrop through repetition of simple melodic lines over complex rhythms. While Leila Moss definitely stole the show, her bandmates Luke Ford, Dan Higgins, Toby Butler, and Olly Betts brought a raw energy and stage presence of their own. Guitarists Luke Ford and Dan Higgins especially staggered around the stage mesmerized by their instruments, almost alluding to the power of their total sound.

--Marc Amigone

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/08/2008 08:30:00 AM 0 comments

The Daily Shortlist May 8

El Perro del Mar's Sarah Assbring looking Vintage Here

Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Bands: Breaking the Band with El Perro del Mar + Lykke Li + Anna Ternheim
Show time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: Chickie Pig’s
Drink: Mason Dixon
Miscellaneous: 151

This triple threat of Swedish artists include headliner El Perro del Mar, AKA Sarah Assbring, who’s take on 60s torch singing is as sweet as honey, especially on her new album, From the Valley to the Stars. Joining her are Lykke Li and Anna Ternheim, both offering equally quirky and beautiful songs. What sounds like a vegetarian’s nightmare is actually a gourmet pizza restaurant. Chickie Pig’s offers some interesting brick oven thin-crust pies like The Pig’s Fig Pie with fig jam reduction, Gorgonzola, proscuitto, and chives ($15). If you have the desire to ride a bull when you order a pint, then you’re in luck! Mason Dixon offers both. Seriously, you can drink and ride a friggin’ mechanical bull here! For a good time or if your goal is to get trashed, hit up 151. There’s no sign outside, but inside, happy hour is 2 for 1 everyday from 6-10pm.

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/08/2008 08:00:00 AM 0 comments

MUSIC REVIEW: The Gutter Twins

The Gutter Twins
Saturnalia
Sub Pop




The combination of Greg Dulli's fallen angel croon and Mark Lanegan's raspy voice of the damned raise The Gutter Twins' first album Saturnalia beyond a collaboration project between two of the 90's best-voiced frontmen.

Dulli, known for his work first with The Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers, and Lanegan, the former voice of The Screaming Trees and checkered solo career, tread familiar ground, with songs of devotion and despair.

However, instead of simply revisiting the sonic soundscapes that made them semi-famous, the collaboration brings out the best in both artists. It's an expanded palette that puts samples in the tense "Each to Each." It also allows Lanegan to try a little Dulli croon on the winning "Seven Stories Underground."

Still, the album's biggest appeal should be for fans of the cigarette-and-whiskey-voiced crooners. The dark lyrical obsessions and grunge tones are unmistakable and perhaps too-dated for post-millennia tastes.

--Jonathan Shieber

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/07/2008 08:30:00 AM 0 comments

The Daily Shortlist May 7

Olafur Eliasson, 360° room for all colours, 2002
Private collection; Courtesy Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson
Show time: Sun to Sat 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Venue: Museum of Modern Art
Food GoGo Curry
Drink Stitch
Miscellaneous Leisure Time Bowl

Danish/Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson takes rooms and creates immersive environments out of them featuring sculptures and light projections in an attempt to show the viewer what it means to see, from a cognitive standpoint. The owner of Go!Go! Curry is obsessed with the Yankees Hideki Matsui and his Jersey (55). The menu’s theme is baseball and katsu, a fried meat, chicken, or shrimp cutlet served in a curry sauce is the specialty here. Portion sizes are Walk (small), Single (Med.), Double (L), and Triple (XL) and are inexpensive. The mascot, a gorilla for some reason, is plastered everywhere, making this place even quirkier. In the heart of the garment district, Stitch, a cozy after-work bar/lounge, stocks a cocktail menu with a design theme. If you still have energy and are in the mood to bowl, check out Leisure Time Bowl. Located in the Port Authority, this place is stylish and fun.

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/07/2008 08:00:00 AM 0 comments

THE INTERVIEW: El Perro del Mar

Sarah Assbring Talks about El Perro Del Mar's New Album. Photo Credit: Johanna Hedborg





Recording under the moniker El Perro del Mar, Sweden's Sarah Assbring won the music community over with her 2006 self-titled debut. She's gracing our shores again in support of her pop-perfect sophomore effort From The Valley To The Stars (Control Group/Tcg).

We caught up with the busy singer/songwriter to get the scoop on the album, her tour, and who she would love to collaborate with (hint - If you're name is Devendra Banhart or Bjorn Yttling, you might want to scroll down!).

You toured really hard behind your last record. Did you take a break at all between supporting that album and recording your new one From The Valley To The Stars?

I was able to take a real break last summer when I just spent every minute in the studio writing and recording. It was about time.

On your last album you arranged and produced everything very much on your own. Did you take the same approach this time around?

Yes and even more so on this album. I was very much into keeping it all true and organic and to not use any digital or midi devices whatsoever. It made the process even more tricky, since I’m working on my own, but it was worth it. I was after that specific jangly feeling anyways.

Did you have a specific blueprint when you went into make your new album or did you just follow your own muse?

I had worked on a theme for the album for a long time, long before I even started writing the actual music. It revolved around my idea of heaven – symbolically as well as literally and harmonically. I wanted to write something about the feelings you go through when losing someone close to you; both the sorrow and the feelings of gratitude for being alive - those kinds of highs and lows and the preciousness of life.

What would you say is the biggest difference between your first album and this one?

Well, this album is definitely different in the way that I wanted to make an album and a conceptual one at that. I really wanted to make something that felt like a classic album made to be listened to from beginning to end.

You're playing two dates in New York City May 7th at Joe's Pub and May 8th at Bowery Ballroom. Do you like the larger venues like Bowery or do you like the places that are smaller and more intimate?

I guess it depends on how the set is or how big the band is. On this tour, playing the songs from this album, I definitely prefer playing bigger venues. The songs need a certain kind of airy atmosphere I think.

You're taking Lykke Li out on the road with you. Is it good to have a fellow Swede around?

Oh yes! It’s so great! We’re gonna be like a big funky family moving around in our tour bus.

Your tour is taking you from Stockholm to Paris, across the U.S. and back to Stockholm again. Is there a city that you would like to play that you haven't yet?

I would love to go to places in Australia and New Zealand and well, I guess there’s millions of other places I would love to go to too. I’ve never played in Italy for example, I would love to.

Some artists say they can't sit back and listen to their own music casually. Do you ever put your music on when you're just sitting around the house relaxing?

No, that’s more or less an impossibility. You’ve kind of dissected the music so deeply and so many times during the process of making it. It’s a shame. But at the same time I think it’s that very feeling that makes you want to continue making new things…because maybe there will come a day when you’ve done something you actually can enjoy listening to without feeling awkward or uneasy. That’s what I’m striving for.

If you could record with any other artist, who would you pick and why?

I would love to work with Devandra Banhart. He’s got such magnitude and power in this very natural way that I admire. I’m also dreaming of working with Björn Yttling of Peter Björn and John some day.

When it comes to your music, what is the best advice you've ever been given and who gave it to you?

I think I gave it to myself when starting El Perro del Mar: Keep it simple and sincere.

--Amy Wagner

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/06/2008 08:30:00 AM 0 comments

The Daily Shortlist May 6

Ash Wednesday by Anthony Goicolea (b. 1971). Photo courtesy Postmasters Gallery, New York

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Dargerism: Contemporary Artists and Henry Darger
Show time: Sun thru Sat 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM
Venue: American Folk Art Museum
Food: Zip Burger
Drink: Subway Inn
Miscellaneous: Kinokuniya Bookstore

Self-taught artist Henry Darger (1892-1973), created nearly 300 watercolor and collage paintings to illustrate his epic masterpiece, The Story of the Vivian Girls. This show features 11 artists’ works, including Darger’s, which were inspired by his art, and the idiosyncrasies of this self-taught master. At Zip Burger they offer farm-raised, organic, and grass-fed meat and poultry, letting you build your own burger with plenty of gourmet toppings. The first time I went to Subway Inn I thought it was completely strange that there was a dive bar off Lexington Avenue, especially in this neck of the woods, but somehow it works. Born in the 30s, this bar has somehow remained, and thank god, as it’s easily the cheapest place in the area for a drink. For fans of Japanese pop-culture, Kinokuniya Bookstore has a large selection of Japanese themed books, videos, CDs, magazines, comics, and stationary.

Posted by Short and Sweet NYC at 5/06/2008 08:00:00 AM 0 comments